In
Hebrews 11, person after person is named that we know about through
the Old Testament are held up as stupendous examples of what they
were able to be & do because of their strong faith in God &
His ability to sustain them & take care of them.
And
then there are these verses at the end of the chapter...
Hebrews
11
35b
But
others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set
free.
They
placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection.
36 Some
were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips.
Others
were chained in prisons.
37 Some
died by stoning,
some
were sawed in half,
and
others were killed with the sword.
Some
went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed
and mistreated.
38 They
were too good for this world,
wandering
over deserts and mountains,
hiding
in caves and holes in the ground.
Perhaps
it would be good for us to think about this possibility...
All
those people with great faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 were people who
were the exception,
not the rule.
Those
4 verses at the tail end of Hebrews 11 were the rule back then.
I
think sometimes we think are lives are supposed to be stupendous as
those people mentioned by name in Hebrews 11.
But
we all live far less glamorous or famous lives.
We
spend our lives simply believing in Jesus & trusting in God's
ability & desire to take care of us.
And
in subtle or not so subtle ways we think our lives are meaningless
because they aren't lived like those outstanding people mentioned in
Hebrews 11.
Our
lives, all lives, are just as important as those held up as the
living examples of faith in action.
We
simply live from day to day, being & doing as He leads &/or
commands, with little to no recognition, & expecting no
recognition.
Let's
remember that our lives matter just to God & His overarching plan
for humankind just as much as the life of Abraham, Noah, Enoch,or any
of the others mentioned.
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